Combination lock



m zs wssn F, K, HEYER 2,157,205

COMBINATION LOCK Original Filed Dec. 5, 1933 INVENTOR fiQZEaw/K/LEYZSe BMW - ATTORN EY Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STAT E S COLIBINATION LOCK Frederic K. Heyer, Stamford, Conn., assignor to The.Yale.& Towne Manufacturing 00., Stamford; Gonm, a corporation of Connecticut Original application December 5, 1933, Serial No.

700,995. Divided and this application Novemberlll," 1937, Serial No. 173,768

10 Claims. (Cl. 70-315) This invention relates to combination locks, and more particularly to means for facilitating the changing of thecombination of a combination lock.

Those skilled in the art know that the combination of a lock of the class described is set by the movement of a dial body which carries a series of numbers, relatively to a fixed index point carried by a dial plate, the dial body rotating relatively to said dial plate. The relation of the dial body and dial plate may be reversed, the dial body carrying an index point which is rotatable relatively to'a dial plate on which may be marked a series of numbers.

A simple way of changing the combination of a lock of the class described is to vary the relation between the index point or the index numbers carried by the dial body relatively to the dial body. My invention contributes particu- 20 larly-efiective means for so varying the relationship between the dial body and the index point or numbers movable therewith. For convenience, my invention will be described with relation to a dial body carrying a series of numbers, those 25 skilled in the art readily appreciating what changes will be necessary shouldjthe relationship of the parts be reversed, as previously suggested. It will be well to indicate at this time that the art'has for many years known that combinations 30 may be changed in the same general'way as above outlined by me, my invention relating only to combination changing means which are particularly effective.

' This application is a division of my application 35 Serial No. 700,995, filed December 5, 1933. Certain portions of my invention are illustrated also in the Brauning application, Serial No. 652,140, filed January 17, 1933. Brauning, of course, has made no claim to that portion of my invention 40 which is shown in his application.

I shall now refer to the drawing wherein is shown a preferred modification of my invention. Fig. 1 is-a front view of a combination lock applied to a door, while Fig. 2 is a section through 5 lines 2--2 of the dial plate and dial body assembly of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section taken along lines 3'-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 illustrates the manner in which a screw driver operates a portion of my combination changing mechanism. Fig. 5is an 50 elevation of the casing of my combination look, while Fig. 6 is a view'of the rear'of the dial plate showing its assembly relatively to the dial body of my invention. Figs. 7 and 8 are figures illustrating a detailed construction of my invention.

55 Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively side and front Views of a detent member which is in the form of a mutilated stud.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a door designated by reference numeral H1 in Fig. 3 carries on the front face thereof a dial plate II which is held in assembled relation to the door 10 by means of a pair of bolts i2 traversing holes I3 in the dial plate II, and additional holes M in the ears i5 of a combination lock casing I6, the combination lock casing 16 1 being of course mounted on the back side of the door 10. Nuts llmounted on the bolts 12 hold the lock casing I6 and the dial plate Ii assembled relatively to the door H3.

The combination mechanism in the lock cas- 15 ing |6 is of a' construction which need not be described in detail since-it may be of any type, such as shown, for instance, in my own application supra or inthe Brauning application supra. Suffice it to say, the combination thereof is set through the rotation of prongs I8 carried by an operating member i9 secured through suitable means for rotation integrally with the dial body 20. The dial body 29 is held assembled relatively to the dial plate ii through the use of a spring ring 2i, as will be quite apparent from Figs. 2 and'6.

The dialplate i I carries an index point 22 relatively to which is rotatable the index ring 23, which is adapted to rotate integrallywith the dial 30 body 20, as is usual in this art. For emergency operation, a key operated locking plug 38 is provided, but its operation is not important to describe in connection with the present invention and will not be described. The index ring 23 is of a cross section illustrated in Fig. 2, and is retained against endwise movement relatively tothe dial body 20 through the coaction or" the shoulder 23a. of the index ring 23 with the shoulder 20a of the dial body 20. 40

As has already been indicated generally, the combination may be changed by merely rotating the index ring 23 relatively to dial body 20 so that it may assume various positions relatively to the dial body 20. provided for securing the index ring 23 to the dial. body 20 for rotation integrally with the dial body 20 in any position in which index ring 23 may be placed relatively to dial body 2!].

For so securing the index ring 23 relatively to so the dial body 20, I utilize ad-etent member which takes the form of a mutilated stud 24, having a pin portion 25 through which it rotates on and with the dial body. The index ring 23 has a series of cutaway scalloped portions 26- which 55 Means must of course be are cooperable with a half-round lug 21 formed on the mutilated stud 24. When the mutilated stud is in its position of Figs. 2 and 7, the halfround lug 21 is positioned out of any of the scalloped portions 26, and the index ring 23 will therefore rotate freely relatively to the dial body 20, as is readily appreciated. However, when the stud 2G is rotated 180 from its position of Fig. 7 to the position of Fig. 8, the half-round lug 21 will be positioned within a scalloped portion 26 of the index ring 23, and will then look the index ring against rotation relatively to the dial body 29. It is thus readily seen that it is quite simple through merely rotating the stud 24 to release or lock the index ring 23 relatively to the dial body 2:], and in any particular adjusted relation to the dial body 20. r

The stud 24 is slotted at 28 so that when r0- tated 180 from its position of Fig. 2, it will allow the flange 29 of the dial plate H to ride freely into the said slot 28. In order to allow rotation of the stud 24, the flange29 is cut away as at 3!? to accommodate the body portion of the lug 24, as is readily seen from Figs. 2 and 6. Because of this construction, it is possible to rotate the stud 25 only when the stud is brought opposite the cutaway portion 30 of the flange 29 of the dial plate H. Also, the flange 29 retains the stud in place so long as it lies in the slot 28. In addition, during adjustment of the index ring, the dial body is locked against rotation because the part 24a of the stud is within the cut-away portion 3!] of the dial plate.

In order that the combination may be changed when the lock is held in assembled relation to a door as in Figs. 1 and 3, the rear plate 3| of the lock casing 16 carries a threaded sleeve 32' which normally houses a screw 33, as is probably best seen in Fig. 3. The front plate 34 of the casing I6 is bored out as at 35 at a point which corresponds to the location of the cutaway portion 3 0 of the dial plate flange 29. The combination mechanism in the casing i6 is also so arranged that no mechanism will be aligned axially of the sleeve 32 and the opening 35 thereby permitting insertion of a screw driver 38 when the screw 33 is removed, as is seen from Fig. 4.

With the lock applied to a door as in Fig. 4, insertion of the screw driver 36 under the conditions set forth will allow rotation of the stud form of detent 24 soas to permit release of the index ring 23 relatively to the dial body 20, as already described, so that the combination may be readily changed, and then set.

In order to facilitate entrance of the screw driver into the stud 24, the forward end of the stud 2 3 is tapered inwardly as at 37 for guiding the screw driver, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

I now claim:

1. In a dial look, a casing having combination lock mechanism therein, a dial body in the form of a hand knob for operating said mechanism, a figured index ring, said ring being rotatable on said body, said dial body and index ring being mounted for rotation at the front side of said casing, a detent member adapted to prevent rotation between said index ring and said .dial body, said detent being movable by a tool inserted into said casing from the rear side thereof whereby to release said body and ring for rotation relatively to one another, said casing having an opening in a predetermined position for the passage of said tool.

2. In a dial look, a casing having combination lock mechanism therein, front and rear casing plates on said casing, a dial body in the form of a hand knob for operating said mechanism, a figured index ring, said ring being rotatable on said body, said dial body and index ring being mounted for rotation relatively to said front casing plate, a detent member adapted to prevent rotation between said index ring and said dial body, said detent being movable from the rear of said casing by a tool inserted through aligned openings in the said front and rear casing plates of said casing whereby to release said body and ring for ready adjustment.

3. In a dial look, a dial body member, a figured index ring member, said ring being rotatable on said body, a mutilated stud carried by one of said members and adapted to fit into any one of a series of scalloped portions in the other of said members to prevent relative rotation between said ring and body members, said stud being rotatable into a release position to permit relative rotation between said ring and body whereby the positional relation of-said members may be varied.

4. In a dial lock, a dial plate carrying an index, a main dial body member, a figured index ring member carried by said dial body for indicating the degree of rotation of said body relatively to said index plate, a mutilated stud adapted to secure said ring and body for integral movement but movable to present its mutilated portion to a holding depression in the ring so as to release said ring for rotation on said dial body, whereby the positional relation of said ring and body may be varied, and means preventing rotation of said stud except when said dial body is positioned in particular relation to said dial plate.

5. In a dial look, a dial body, an index ring, a dial plate, a detent for securing said dial body and index ring for rotation together, relatively to said dial plate, said detent being movable to release said index ring for movement of adjustment relatively to said dial body, and a surface of said dial plate cooperable with said detent to prevent movement of said detent to release position except when said dial body is placed in a predetermined position relatively to said dial plate.

6. In a dial lock, a dial body, an index ring, a dial plate, means maintaining said dial body and index ring assembled relatively to said dial plate, a detent for securing said dial body and index ring for rotation together relatively to said dial plate, said detent being movable to release said index ring for movement of adjustment relatively to said dial body, and a surface of saiddial plate cooperable with said detent to prevent movement of said detent to release position except when said dial body is placed in a predetermined position relatively to said dial plate.

7. Ida dial look, a dial body, an index ring, a dial plate, a detent cooperating with said index ring and dial body for securing said dial body and index ring for rotation together relatively to said dial plate, said detent being movable to release said index ring for movement of adjustment relatively to said dial body, a surface of said dial plate cooperable with said detent to prevent movement of said detent to release position except when said dial body is placed in a predetermined position, and means whereby when said detent releases said index ring for rotation relatively to said'dial body it locks said dial body against rotation relatively to said dial plate. 5

8. In a dial look, a dial body, an index ring, a

dial plate, a detent cooperating with'said index ring and dial body for securing said dial body and index ring for rotation together relatively to said dial plate, said detent being movable to release said index ring for movement of adjustment relatively to said dial body, and means whereby when said detent releases said index ring for rotation relatively to said dial body it locks said dial body against rotation relatively to said dial plate.

9. In a dial look, a dial body member, a dial plate having an index point, an index ring member, a mutilated stud securing said dial body and index ring for rotation together relatively to said dial plate when said stud is in one position, said stud in another position releasing said ring for rotation relatively to said dial body while simultaneously locking one of said members against rotation relatively to said dial plate.

10. In a dial look, a dial body member, a figured index ring member, said ring being rotatable on said body, a rotatable stud carried by one of said members and adapted to rotate into and out of any one of a series of scalloped portions in the other of said members, whereby to prevent relative rotation between said ring and body members when in one of said scalloped portions and to allow said relative rotation when out of said scalloped portions.

FREDERIC K. HEYER. 

